PROTECTIVE EPITOPES IN TICK IMMUNITY

拟议的项目是确定抗原的分子基础 参与蜱免疫，并研究其对传播的影响， 莱姆病和埃里希体病。 具体地说，已建立了蜱保护性免疫模型， 豚鼠抗体已经显示出能够被动地 保护受体将使用化学和免疫吸附剂进行纯化， 方法.将获得肩胛硬蜱的蜱唾液抗原; 这些抗原将通过化学和免疫学方法纯化， 上述纯化的保护性抗体。这些抗原将是 用于在模型中主动产生蜱免疫。 用从蜱致敏动物中获得的纯化抗体， 筛选已经从唾液腺制备的文库。等 从刺激的蜱唾液腺制备的文库将用于 克隆保护性抗原基因。几个假定的克隆体 已经被确认了。 重组抗原将被表达、纯化和表征， 作为免疫原免疫水稻和豚鼠，测定其 诱导抗蜱免疫的潜力。 采用免疫豚鼠，观察抗蜱免疫对豚鼠抗蜱能力的影响， 感染伯氏疏螺旋体或犬埃立克体的蜱， 将疾病传播给蜱免疫宿主。的动力学 从感染蜱到豚鼠宿主的传播将是 抗蜱免疫对病原体作用机制的研究 传输

The proposed project is to identify the molecular basis of the antigens involved in tick immunity and study its effects upon the transmission of Lyme borreliosis and Ehrlichiosis. Specifically a model of tick protective immunity has been established in guinea pigs. Antibodies already shown to be capable of passively protecting recipients will be purified using chemical and immunoabsorbent methods. Tick salivary antigens will be obtained for Ixodes scapularis; these antigens will be purified by chemical and immunological means using the purified protective antibodies described above. Such antigens will be used to actively produce tick immunity in the model. With purified antibodies obtained from tick-sensitized animals, cDNA libraries already prepared from salivary glands will be screened. Such libraries, prepared from stimulated tick salivary glands, will be used to clone genes encoding protective antigens. Several putative clones have already been identified. Recombinant antigens will be expressed, purified, and characterized before use as immunogens to immunize rice and guinea pigs to determine their potential for induction of anti-tick immunity. Using immune guinea pigs, the effect of anti-tick immunity on the ability of ticks infected with either Borrelia burgdorferi or Ehrlichia canis to transmit disease to tick-immune hosts will be determined. The kinetics of transmission from infecting tick to guinea pig host will be the basis of studies on the mechanism of how anti-tick immunity affects pathogen transmission.